Ashton VSG Corona Gorda (PIX) Review

[Beer Doctor]

I haven't done a review in awhile and wanted to really concentrate on this smoke so I figured this would make for a good review. I picked this cigar up a few days ago and was destined a fiery death. When I purchased it there was plume on the cigar indicating it may have been there for awhile. Purchase price was $8.99.

[SIZE=4]Atmosphere[/SIZE]

Outside on the porch. Temps in the high 60's. Gorgeous. Listening to the end of the Brewers game. Drinking water to start.

[SIZE=4]Prelight[/SIZE]

The cigar was firm with no soft spots. Had a nice dark brown color. Wrapper was toothy with a few large veins. Aside from the veins it was beutiful. Prelight smell was a little spicy and sweet. The anticipation was building. Clipped it with my Xikar, albeit a bit poorly. Draw was a little tight and tasted a little green.

[SIZE=4]First third[/SIZE]
The first draw on this had a little sweet flavor with not much spice at all. Seemed to be on the lighter side of a medium bodied cigar. When exhaling through my nose there was no burn whatsoever. Could exhale the entire puff through my nose. The main flavors coming through were of cedar. There was a very faint peppery taste. So far it was a very smooth smoke even though it wasn't producing a lot of it. The spice began to pick up near the end of the first third.

[SIZE=4]Second third[/SIZE]
There seemed to be a burst of some type of flavor that I could only describe as a sweet citrus. This is probably not the correct assement but my lack of detecting flavors causes me to reach I did detect a little cocoa in a few puffs. The main flavors in this part were a mildly spicy cedar. The spice was once again lost near the end. At this point I switched drinks from water to a Sprecher Pub Ale.

[SIZE=4]Last third[/SIZE]
This end was really cedary. There were a lot of flavors going on in this last part that I'm going to have trouble describing. There were some floral notes coming on with a little spice near the end. An almost sweet medicine taste...I know it's very similar to Madagascan vanilla, but that's the only way I could describe it. I was at a beer tasting last week and had a very hoppy IPA, where the beer tasted floral...there were times when a few puffs reminded me of this. I accidently dropped the cigar after becoming a little to enthusiastic when the Brewers took the lead in the 10th. This messed up the flavor for a bit but I purged and she got back into form. Near the very end it got a little leathery but that was the only time I tasted that.

[SIZE=4]Overall Impressions[/SIZE]

This was a medium bodied stick that was pretty complex. I enjoy spice so I was disappointed there wasn't much. I've smoked some other VSGs and thought there was more spice. Maybe the age on this mellowed her out. Overall I was thoroughly pleased and look forward to smoking another. The burn was perfect and never required any touch ups.
CLOSE UP


TOOLS


SETUP






NEW DRINK


END

[zmancbr]

Excellent review and one of my favorite sticks. I love the corona gorda and the Illusion in the vsg's... Thanks foe the review!!

[kugie]

Nice review and great PIX

[gvarsity]

Love the corona gorda size and the VSG is a yummy stick. Nice review. Love pix reviews. Nice ashtray by the way.

[Mullet]

The Corona Gorda is my absolute FAVORITE of the VSG line. I love that size! It's long and thin, the wrapper/tobacco relationship is wonderful.

Weird question perhaps: Are you smoking on your roof??? Why the hell are there shingles in the pics???

I'm not being critical at all, i'm just wondering -- are you drinking and smoking on your rooftop? If so, +1 my friend.

[boonedoggle]

Very nice review! These are very very good sticks!

[Beer Doctor]

Originally Posted by Mullet

The Corona Gorda is my absolute FAVORITE of the VSG line. I love that size! It's long and thin, the wrapper/tobacco relationship is wonderful.

Weird question perhaps: Are you smoking on your roof??? Why the hell are there shingles in the pics???

I'm not being critical at all, i'm just wondering -- are you drinking and smoking on your rooftop? If so, +1 my friend.

I live in a 2nd floor apt and our patio is essentially on the roof of the unit below us. It's a weird apt layout.

[JGIORD]

Nice review.

The VSG's I've had don't seem the same as they once were. They have all seemed a bit toned down.

Too bad. But I still get an urge every now and then to pick one up and try it out. They are really nice looking sticks.

[ca21455]

Thanks for the review and nice pics! Love the Corona Gorda it is my favorite VSG. The ones I have smoked were more full bodied then you describe but it may just be the batch.